Recharging at the Beach

I have a confession.

While we have been living the high life up at altitude for most of the last month, having an amazing time, I have been feeling some jealousy for home. Seeing and reading all the posts/emails about the fun things of summer have that effect. BBQing, hanging out at the beach or the lake, the 4th of July, ice cream and idyllic climbing trips. All beloved in the korol household and not in much supply in Bolivia and the highlands of Peru.

After all the subtle pangs of jealousy, and with both of us in need of some oxygen rich sea air and sun to dry out our souls. Thankfully, Mu and I got a little taste of the summer living over the last couple of days, getting in some much needed recharging in Mancora, Peru. This town is about 2 hours south of the Ecuadorian border, with beautiful vistas across the Pacific. The beach is steps from our hotel, were we have a 3rd floor room with a balcony overlooking everything. Mancora has good surf, and I had anticipated getting in the waves. But, this time of year a wetsuit is mandatory and the main break off the point has been super crowded, so I took a pass. The waves are nicely shaped, but on the smaller side, and hence the lineup recalls the first couple weekends up in tahoe when only moderate blues are open with way too any people for the 5 or so trails. No thanks.

Mancora is also well known for the fresh seafood on tap, and cheap too. In the last 3 days, I have eaten ceviche 5 times, getting in as much as possible until we push on. Most of these have been dirt cheap, like $1 per plate cheap. The ice cream here is also delicious, and all the other food has been great with seafood in various forms. The eating in Peru generally has been amazing, I highly recommend to any foodies.

What have we been doing during our recharge? It is a mixed bag, none of it at a particularly high tempo or with tons of urgency. It has been a mix bag of yoga, runs on the beach, playing around on the net, reading, connecting with family and friends, listening to some podcasts and eating. Mu has also been battling the head and chest cold I passed along to her, and seems to be coming out on the other side of the cold. She really needed this time and is glowing a bit from the sun.

Tomorrow, we push on from Mancora, heading to the hills of Ecuador for a few days of tropical mountain hiking. We will miss this place.

 

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